Friday, February 10, 2012

Study: U.S. Tops Cyber Attack List

September 25, 2008

The United States experienced the most cyber attacks in 2008 with more than 20 million attempted attacks originating from computers within the country, according to a client study by security firm SecureWorks. China was second with 7.7 million attempted attacks emanating from computers within its borders and Brazil took third place with over 166,987 attempted attacks. South Korea, Poland, Japan, and Russia were also high on the list.

"This should be a warning to organizations and personal computer users that, not only are they putting their computers and networks at risk by not securing them, but they are actually providing these cyber criminals with a platform from which to compromise other computers," SecureWorks researcher Hunter King said in a press release. The findings illustrate the futility of simply blocking content from foreign IP addresses as a defense mechanism, added Don Jackson, the firm's threat intelligence director.

The Georgia/Russia cyber conflict was a good example, SecureWorks said. Many Georgian IT staffers thought that by blocking Russian IP addresses they would be able to protect their networks but the Russian attacks were actually launched from IP addresses in Turkey and the United States.

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Juliana Gruenwald

Tech Writer

E-Mail: jgruenwald@nationaljournal.com.


Juliana Gruenwald has been covering tech and telecom issues for more than a decade for National Journal, Interactive Week, BNA and Congressional Quarterly. This is her second stint with National Journal. She was recruited by NJ in 1998 to help launch its first tech policy publication, Technology Daily. She left in 2000 to cover international tech and telecom issues for Ziff Davis Media's Interactive Week magazine. She started her career at United Press International as the wire service's first Helen Thomas Intern. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. A Minneapolis native, she misses the lakes but not the cold.


Josh Smith

Tech Reporter

E-Mail: joshsmith@nationaljournal.com.


Josh Smith covers technology policy as a staff reporter for National Journal. He previously interned at National Journal Daily, a Senate press office, and the Deseret News in Salt Lake City where he covered the state legislature, courts, and crime. In 2009 he graduated with honors from Southern Utah University after managing an award-winning student newspaper as editor-in-chief. Josh has received state, regional and national awards for his political and policy reporting, including first place in CapitolBeat’s 2009 Best of Statehouse Reporting college competition. A native of drop-dead-gorgeous Utah, Josh lives in Virginia with his wife, Amber.